After Cotillion
by houseofanubislover10897
Summary: Ben has a nightmare after everything that happened at cotillion, and seeks out Mal to put some thoughts to rest. This leads to a deep conversation that shed's some light on how Ben had been feeling during the events of Descendants 2.


**Ben's POV**

 _"I'm not going back Ben, this is where I belong" Mal says as she gestures to the spray painted walls all around us._

 _"No Mal please" I beg, stepping closer. I can't lose her, not after everything we've been through._

 _"Go home Ben, you don't belong here" she says firmly, taking a step back._

 _"You tell him love" a familiar Scottish accent says as the last person I want to see steps out of the shadows, Harry Hook. He walks across the room so he's standing beside Mal in front of the spray paint mural she'd been working on when I entered her hideout._

 _"Hello love" he says softly before pulling her in for a deep kiss. I feel jealousy and anger rip through me as I let out a loud roar._

 _"Get away from her!" I growl as I try to charge forward, but my feet won't move from their spot on the floor._

 _"Silly beast, did you really think she could ever love you? When she has me" Harry laughs as he begins leading her out of the room._

 _"Mal come back!" I call out desperately, trying to move but failing. She looks back at me and I feel hope bubble in my chest._

 _"I don't love you, I never did" she says coldly before turning away from me and walking out of the room, holding the pirate's hand._

"No!" I roar as I sit up on my bed quickly, panting heavily and covered in sweat. I continue breathing heavily and feel tears slide down my cheeks as I try to shake away the dream.

 _'Mal..need to get to Mal'_ I think frantically as I run out of my dorm and all the way to the girls dormitories until I'm in front of Mal and Evie's door.

"Mal! Mal it's me Ben, please let me in!" I say desperately as I knock and try to open the locked door. A minute later I hear the door unlock and barge in before she can even start opening it.

"Ben? What on earth are y-" I cut her off my wrapping my arms around her and bury my face in her neck as my body shakes from uncontrollable sobs.

"Don't leave me for Harry" I plead, hiccuping from my sobs.

"Harry? Ben what on earth are you talking about?" she says confused as she begins pulling away from me, but I only cling on to her tighter.

"I-I'll do anything Mal. I'll start breaking rules and stealing stuff, I'll make messes and not clean them up. Just name it and I'll do it!" I say quickly, moving my face away from her neck to look at her but not loosening my grip on her waist.

 **Mal's POV**

"Oh Ben no" I say softly, wiping the tears off of his cheeks and kissing away the ones by his eyes. I'm getting a bit better at giving him affection after everything that's happened to us the past three days. Thankfully Evie is spending the night in Doug's room so I don't have to worry about her waking up because of my distraught boyfriend.

"Mal please-" his voice cracks as I lean up and kiss his forehead.

"I don't want you to change" I say as I begin breaking away from him, taking his hand in mine before he can start panicking again. I quickly close and lock my bedroom door before leading him over to my bed. I have him sit on my deep purple comforter as I stand between his legs. I let go of his hand and cup his cheeks in my hands as I rest our foreheads together.

"What brought all this on?" I ask concerned, knowing he hadn't been feeling like this hours ago when we'd said goodnight to each other.

"I-I had a nightmare" he says tearfully, looking up at me with sadness pooling in his eyes.

"Oh dear" I say sympathetically, remembering all the times he'd comforted me after I'd had a nightmare after his coronation.

"Tell me what happened" I say gently, moving so I'm sitting on his lap with my knees on either side of him.

"Y-you were telling me you weren't coming back to Auradon and t-that you don't belong here. That you belonged on the isle and told me to go home because I didn't belong on the isle" he hiccups. I've never seen him this upset before and guilt begins eating away at me, knowing I was the cause.

"Ben-" I begin to say as he continues.

"Then Harry stepped out of the shadows and kissed you deeply before saying 'silly beast, did you really think she could ever love you? When she has me' as he lead you out of your hideout" he says sadly.

"I couldn't move...I couldn't get to you and when I called for you to comeback you turned to be and said you didn't love me..you never did" he cuts himself off by sobbing uncontrollably, he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me impossibly closer to him.

"Ben shh..Ben listen to me, nothing in that dream was true" I say comfortingly as I cup his cheeks in my hands.

 **Ben's POV**

I lean into her touch as she strokes the tears away from my eyes, unable to look away from the beautiful angel in front of me.

"Ben I don't want Harry" she says calmly before kissing my cheek.

"But-" I start to protest weakly before she puts a finger over my lips, silencing me.

"I love you, you mean everything to me. It's you that I want, not him" she says before kissing away a tear that slide down my cheek.

"I love you too" I mumble, leaning forward so my head rests on the crook of her neck.

"And second, this belongs to you" she says softly before cupping my cheeks again and leaning in slowly, and I can't help shuddering from the warmth of her bare hands on my skin, no gloves in between us.

"And always will" she promises before capturing my lips with hers.

"Don't" kiss "ever" kiss "disappear" kiss "like that" kiss "again!" I growl in between kisses as my beast side begins to take over.

"I won't" she promises as she rests her forehead against mine.

"I'm serious Mal! I was so worried about you after Evie told me you'd left, I was so scared I'd never see you again" I say sternly as I tighten my hold on her.

"I'm sorry Ben" she mumbles, and my anger begins melting away, only to be replaced by the sadness I'd felt when I truly realized she was gone.

"I didn't even get to say goodbye to you" I say sadly. This is what bothered me the most, she didn't come talk to me before she'd left.

"I knew you'd try to stop me" she says quietly.

"Of course I'd try to stop you! I love you and I don't wanna lose you, especially not over a stupid argument" I say defensively, before my shoulders sag slightly.

"Up until last night, I'd never felt so powerless. Watching you and Uma go at it and knowing there was nothing I could do to protect you, and knowing you didn't need me to protect you" I sigh, remembering how worried I'd been when she'd first started being wrapped up in blueish purple smoke, only to emerge as a giant purple dragon.

"Ben, I'm a girl from an isle filled with fighters,thieves, and starvation. We're taught from a young age to look out for ourselves as number one, and to not need anybody to protect us" she tries to explain gently.

"I know...but it's supposed to be the king's job to protect his queen and I haven't even gotten a chance to" I mumble before looking down.

"Maybe someday you will" she says as she lifts my chin to get me to look at her.

"Maybe" I say softly before letting out a small yawn, causing her to giggle.

"Alright my little beastie, it's time to go to bed" she laughs as she gets off of me.

"But Maaal, I don't wanna go back to my room" I whine as I stand up.

"Who said anything about you going back to your room?" she asks with a playful smirk. she pulls back the covers and gesture's for me to get in the bed. I do as I'm told and pull her to me as soon as she lays down too. She lays her head on my chest as I covers us with her warm comforter.

"I love you Mal" I whisper into her hair.

"I love you too" she whispers as she leans up and pecks me on the lips. We lay there in comfortable silence for a bit, and just after I begin to believe she's asleep she speaks up quietly.

"Ben" she says softly.

"Yes Mal?" I say as I look down at her, a small smile tugging at my lips.

"I know I said I don't want you to change, and I really don't. But...do you think you could wear that vk outfit now and then?" she asks hopefully, causing me to let out a small laugh.

"Anything for you my queen" I chuckle before kissing her forehead. After a few minutes she falls asleep in my arms, and I just continue to watch as she rests peacefully for a moment.

 _'I promise I will never ever make you feel like you need to change for me again'_ I silently pledge to her. I don't wanna lose my girl because she feels like she isn't enough for me, ever again. We may come from two different places, but our hearts beat as one. I've never felt so connected with someone like I do with Mal. I know our relationship started because of a love spell, but the truth is I'd fallen for her the moment I first met her. The potion had just given me the little push I'd been too scared to take beforehand. And I'm so grateful she chose to be good on my coronation, that she chose to be with me. I can only imagine how hard it had been for her, to turn her back on everything she knew so she could be with me. And I'm determined to return the favor in some way, it's the least I can do after all of this craziness. I'm pulled out if my thoughts as I let out a large yawn. Mal snuggles closer to my chest and I instinctively start to pur, happy my mate was once again safe and sound in my arms.

 _'Goodnight my love'_ is my last thought as I hold my mate closer and drift off to sleep.


End file.
